Top 10 fuel efficient petrol manual cars under Rs. 10 lakhs

It is a well-known fact that the fuel efficiency is the most important governing factor for buying cars in India. To the extent that even manufacturers endeavour to plonk in their best engines which can squeeze the maximum out of every precious drop of fuel. Meanwhile, fuel costs are now at an all-time high as well. With the festive season frenzy upon us, we have listed here the top 10 petrol manual cars you can buy for under Rs 10 lakhs. 

These cars proved to be the most fuel efficient in CarWale’s fuel efficiency test runs. The fuel efficiency was calculated with the average of – city efficiency figures and adjusted highway efficiency (0.75 times the tested highway figure). 

Renault Kwid 0.8 – 15.88kmpl

The Kwid has been a runaway success for Renault in India since its introduction. Locking horns with the highest selling car in India, the Alto, in its own backyard, the Kwid has many tricks up its sleeve. One of them is the Kwid’s efficient petrol motor which returns a combined fuel efficiency of 15.88kmpl.

Maruti Suzuki Swift – 13.55kmpl

India’s favourite hatchback has retained its proven powertrain. Meanwhile the new lighter chassis has improved the on-road performance. And when one combined that with a frugal 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated motor, which easily returned a fuel efficiency of 13.55kmpl, it goes to prove why the Swift is one of the highest selling cars in India all through the last decade. 

Honda WR-V – 12.73kmpl

The compact crossovers are the current favourite amongst car buyers and the WR-V is the Honda’s take in this segment. Despite being based on the Jazz, the WR-V carries an SUV-like stance with its macho looks. It has been developed specially for emerging markets like Brazil and India. Its mileage of 12.73kilometres per litre of fuel is commendable. 

Ford Freestyle – 12.40kmpl

The Freestyle debuted the new 1.2-litre three-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine from the new Dragon family. This newly-developed petrol engine has power figures of 95bhp and 120Nm which is the best in its class. What’s more, the American CUV can also do 12.40kilometres to a litre. 

Maruti Suzuki Ignis – 12.03kmpl

The Ignis was focused on the millennials, which means the emphasis was on styling and features rather than fuel economy. However, its internals are similar to the other Maruti hatches, along with the new Heartect platform. All this points to a fuel efficiency of 12.03kmpl from its 1.2-litre K-Series unit for this global hatchack.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS – 12.02kmpl

Yet another Maruti in the list, but this time, it’s a desirable hot hatch. The Baleno RS with its 1.0-litre BoosterJet three-pot turbo petrol engine has been the talk of the town. It produces 100bhp of power and 150Nm. It has a slightly aggressive stance compared to the standard Baleno. And it scores extra brownie points with a fuel economy of 12.02kmpl.

Volkswagen Ameo – 11.71kmpl

Volkswagen introduced the Ameo two years ago as a German alternative in the sub-four-metre compact sedan segment. It is powered by a 1.2-litre engine tuned to produce 108bhp and 250Nm which can run 11.71km in a litre. But now, VW has introduced a new 1.0-litre MPI engine in the Ameo. Stay tuned for its road test. 

Maruti Suzuki Alto – 11.31kmpl

The Alto needs no introduction here and we don’t even need to know how much it does in a single litre of petrol. The Alto is the household name in the country and it sells more units in a month alone than the entire combined sales figures of other carmakers. For the record, we have tested the 800cc engine and not the K10 motor. 

Tata Tigor – 10.60kmpl

The second compact sedan in the list, the Tigor is basically Tiago with a nicely sculpted derriere. Under the hood is the same 1.2-litre three-pot motor from the hatchback which puts out 83bhp and 114Nm. The motor is quite peppy and although it performed poorly in the city fuel run, it returned 15kmpl on the highway.

Tata Nexon – 10.60kmpl

The Nexon entered as a competitor to the Vitara Brezza and EcoSport in the sub-4 metre segment. The Nexon carries the new design philosophy and is a major uplift from Tata vehicles of yesteryears. In flesh, it looks quite handsome as well. The second compact SUV in the list, the Nexon undercuts its direct rivals in terms of pricing.